Metalloproteins influence a vast diversity of biological systems, biological processes, and diseases. For example, UDP-{3-O—[(R)-3-hydroxymyristoyl]}-N-acetylglucosamine deacetylase (LpxC) is an essential enzyme involved in the first committed step in lipid A biosynthesis for gram-negative bacteria. Lipid A is an essential component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. LpxC is a zinc(II)-dependent metalloenzyme, with two histidines and an aspartic acid residue bound to the zinc(II) ion. Structures of LpxC show the zinc(II) ion is bound to two water molecules, both of which have been implicated in the mechanism of the enzyme. LpxC is highly conserved across strains of Gram-negative bacteria. This makes LpxC an attractive target to treat Gram-negative infections.
Many LpxC inhibitors developed to date have issues including lack of cell permeability, off-target toxicity, and efflux.
In recent years, there has been an increase in resistant and multi-drug resistant strains of bacteria. Thus, there is a need for new antibiotics, especially with new mechanisms of action. There remains a need for metalloprotein modulators of LpxC useful in the field of therapeutics, diagnostics, and research.